Bean bag game projectile



i959 A. M. GAMERTSFELDER 3,480,280

BEAN BAG GAME PROJECTILE Filed May 15, 1967 FIG! FIGZ

- INVENTOR. ALLEN M. GAMERTSFELDER ATTORNEYS:

United States Patent 3,480,280 BEAN BAG GAME PROJECTILE Allen M. Gamertsfelder, 7575 Darrow Road, Hudson, Ohio 44236 Filed May 15, 1967, Ser. No. 638,410 Int. Cl. A63b 65/00 US. Cl. 273-406 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bean bag game projectile including a flexible closed bag of a size for manual grasping and partially filled (preferably 6 filled) with a filler of resilient granular pellets. In one form of the invention the filler comprises granular pellets formed of medium soft rubber. In another form of the invention, such rubber pellets are configured in the form of small round flat disks to provide Easy intermixing of the pellets. The bag may be formed of transparent material for added effect.

This invention relates to bean bags and more particularly to a game projectile type bean bag.

. Conventional bean bags, as the name implies, are flexible bags filled with dried beans and are commonly used by small children in playground games as a projectile. When soused bean bags can be somewhat of a danger as one thrown full force at a childs face could cause an injury. Additionally, conventional bean bags are unnecessarily heavy for the intended use. Also, after short use, the beans break up into small pieces. If the bean bag gets wet, the beans become soggy and useless.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved bean bag that will not constitute a hazard or danger even if thrown with substantial force.

a A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bean bag that is light in weight, yet still can be thrown with accuracy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bean bag of the above type that does not lose its effectiveness when soaked in water.

i A further object of the invention is to provide an improved bean bag of the above type that is simple in cons'truction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective in operation.

Briefly, the invention comprises a bean bag game projctile adapted for manual grasping including a flexible bag partially filled with weight material in the form of small (soft) rubber pellets. The bag may be made of suitable cloth material such as a denim fabric, or the bag may be formed of a flexible transparent plastic for added effect.

In the preferred form the pellets are configured in the form of flat disks approximately inch to 4 inch in diameter. For projectile use, best results are obtained when the bag is five inches by five inches square and is approximately /3 full with such rubber pellets.

For ease and economy in manufacture, the bag may be formed of a single piece of material folded at one end, and having inside seams at each side and an outside filler seam at the other end thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved bean bag constructed in accordance with the invention with a portion of the bag broken away to show the interior thereof;

3,480,280 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of one of the filler pellets shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4'is a side elevational view of the pellet shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational sectional view of a bean bag similar to that of FIGURE 1, but showing a modification thereof.

:It will be understood that the term bean bag as used herein refers to the generic meaning of such term, na'melyany similar structure having a flexible cover and filled with substantially granular material.

iRefei'ring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a bean bag of the invention, generally designated as B, and including'a closed flexible cover or bag 10-, inclosing filler matefial the form of the flexible rubber pellets 12.

The bag 10, in one form of the invention, is square in configuration and is of a size for manual grasping. A size of five inches by five inches has been found to be satisfactory, Such bag may be formed of any suitable flexible material. Denim fabric is particularly satisfactory as it is washable and wears exceptionally well. A tight-weave twill is also satisfactory. For added effect, the pellets may be of various colors and the bag may be formed of a transparent plastic material as indicated by the bag 10a of FIGURE 5.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, the bag 10 is preferably formed of a single piece of material having a fold 20 at one end, inside seams 22 and 24 at each side, and an outside filler seam 26 at the other end thereof. All seams are preferably triple stitched with heavy duty thread.

Although any suitable configuration of the rubber pellets may be used such as spheres, ellipsoids, cylinders, etc., in the preferred form, the filler or weight material comprises the small, round, flat soft rubber disks 12 of a size approximately inch to inch in diameter and about inch in thickness. Pellets of this configuration and size permit easy intermixing of the same when confined in the bag.

For best results, the bag should be about one-third filled with such pellets. If the bag is too full, it will function as a ball. At one-third full, the bag is most easy to catch even by poorly-coordinated children.

Prior bean bags usually contained dried beans or lead shot. Both of these fillers are very hard and heavy and could cause injury if the bag is thrown with full force. The present invention provides a bean bag B that is light in weight, can be thrown with accuracy, and is completely flexible and resilient because of the rubber pellet filler material such that injury to a child is most unlikely even if the bag is thrown with excessive force.

Also, the bag B is fully effective even when soaked in water.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description, and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A bean bag game projectile comprising a flexible closed bag for manual grasping and containing a filler of flexible resilient granular weight material therein, said bag being square and being formed of a single piece of material folded at one end, and having inside seams at each side and an outside filler seam at the other end thereof.

2. A bean bag game projectile comprising a flexible closed bag for manual grasping and containing a filler of flexible resilient granular weight material therein, said hag being of square configuration approximately five inches by five inches in size and formed of a single piece of Washable material folded at one end with inside seams at each side and an outside filler seam at the other end thereof, said weight material comprising soft rubber pellets configured in the form of flat disks approximately to inch in diameter, said bag being substantially /3 filled with said disks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner 0 PAUL E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5361 

